McCormick Club: Our Story

The Pedersen-McCormick Boys & Girls Club has been an anchor of hope, fun and stability in the lives of Chicago’s Uptown Community youth since 1958 with the support of the Robert R. McCormick Charitable Trust, Senator W. Russell Arrington, W. Clement Stone and area businesses and residents. In 2013, it was renamed the Pedersen-McCormick Club in honor of one of its longtime and arden supporters Peer Pedersen. The Club today serves 1,000 members annually and 250 members age 6-18 daily. The facility is one of the largest Clubs and features some exceptional programs not offered at any other Club location:

Les Dames Garden & Cooking – Club members work in teams led by professionals from the Organic Gardener, Ltd to nurture their outdoor organic gardens. They participate in weekly gardening preparation, management of irrigation systems, gardening designs, and planting and maintenance of gardens. An additional component to the Garden Program involves exposing the club members to the culinary arts industry through an on-site cooking lab led by Les Dames d’Escoffier Chicago. This program extension explores Chicago’s diverse cultural heritage through ethnic cuisines and offers the youth opportunities to experience the true pleasures of food as nourishment for the body as well as the soul.

Northwestern University Science Club – In this on-site science lab, members interact with Northwestern University faculty and graduate students working on school science projects as well as engaging in hands-on learning experiences.

Bea Pounian Academy of the Arts Program – The Academy gives our young members the opportunity to receive hands on training from professional instructors in the areas of digital and traditional photography, ceramics, wood shop, sewing, illustration, movie making and art history. It also features a music recording studio for teens.